From Weatherfield to Walford to the Dales, Christmas week is set to bring big reveals, messy family rows and the kind of cliffhangers that do not wait for the turkey to go cold.

If you like your Christmas telly with a side order of secrets, storms and showdowns, the soaps have you covered this year.

 

 

Across Christmas week, Coronation Street and Emmerdale crank up the tension with relationships under pressure, old grudges bubbling back up and festive gatherings that look calm for about 30 seconds.

Over in EastEnders, Albert Square is in full Christmas mode, but it’s the kind where carols turn into chaos in a heartbeat, and one bombshell can change everything.

Monday 22 December, Virgin Media One and UTV, 8:00pm
Wednesday 24 December, Virgin Media One and UTV, 8:40pm
Thursday 25 December, Virgin Media One, 8:20pm / UTV, 7:15pm
Friday 26 December, Virgin Media One, 7:05pm / UTV, 7:00pm

Weatherfield is heading for a turbulent Christmas, with secrets spilling out, relationships under pressure and a shock on the cobbles that leaves everyone looking for answers.

Debbie’s hen do is a disaster before it even gets going. While her friends wait for the bride-to-be, Debbie ignores messages and ends up calling to say she is in Leeds and will not be joining them.

Over at the stag do, Ronnie reveals Debbie wants him to have power of attorney and control of her finances, and Carl is left shaken as he listens in and then takes a phone call that clearly changes his mood.

Elsewhere, Eva is thrown when Susie starts talking about wanting a baby brother or sister. Ben is delighted by the idea, but Eva’s reaction suggests she is carrying something she cannot face. Adam tries to help by suggesting she write down her feelings, but the letter ends up in the worst possible hands.

Maggie finds it, and Christmas dinner quickly becomes less about festive cheer and more about Maggie using what she knows. With Ben already noticing the closeness between Eva and Adam, the tension builds towards a Secret Santa moment that threatens to blow the family apart.